A Good Elf
by brightsilverkitty
Summary: With her Mistress' life in critical danger, one elf races to find the one thing that could restore Bellatrix's will to survive. SEQUEL TO "TIME HEALS ALL WOUNDS"
1. Chapter 1

READ FIRST: This is a sequel to my other story, "Time Heals All Wounds". If you haven't read it yet you can find it by clicking on my name, and going to the list of my stories.

This begins two weeks after the final chapter, I hope you enjoy!

* * *

There was a cheery hum in the halls of Hogwarts as the students began to trickle into the Great Hall for their evening meal. The enchanted ceiling reflected the relentless drizzle that had plagued the castle for more than two weeks, but the atmosphere was light and friendly as the students chattered about their classes and the previous Hogsmeade weekend.

The kitchen was similarly full of chatter and gaiety as the house elves of Hogwarts bustled around the four tables that sent food to their counterparts above. The delicious aroma of roast chicken and herbs filled the air as several steaming platters were directed towards the tables. One elf, her figure so robust that the seams of her pillowcase threatened to burst, shouted orders from the top of an overturned bucket. She went by the name Brisket, and it was clear from the way the others rushed to obey her that she was the one in charge.

"Hufflepuff needs milk! Who's supposed to- oh! Thank you Glint! Make sure it's nice and cold for them- and don't forget the stew for the Ravenclaw table! Half of them spent the day in the Astronomy tower, poor dears. Did anyone remember to-"

As Brisket continued to issue commands, the portrait hole opened, and a familiar elf with peculiarly large green eyes hurried into the kitchen.

"Winky is sleeping," the head kitchen elf informed Dobby as soon as she saw him.

"Dobby is not looking for Winky," the little elf chirped, "Dobby is here to bring food to-"

"Oh yes," Brisket waved him towards the stove, "Dobby may fix a tray."

"Thanks," Dobby smiled gratefully, and hurried to grab a tray from one of the shelves that lined the wall.

There were six giant stoves against the back of the kitchen, one groaning beneath the weight of ten ginormous bubbling pots. After some inspection, Dobby ladled a small portion of chicken soup into a bowl, then, after a quick check to make sure no one was looking, spooned some of the broth into an old butterbeer bottle. He stoppered it, and stored it in his pocket quickly before anyone could see it.

He finished loading the tray with rolls and a glass of milk, and then disapparated with a loud "crack!"

He appeared in the winding staircase of the Gryffindor Girl's dormitory. A torch flickered above him, casting as he began to climb.

"Dobby?" A tired voice called out.

"Dobby has the food," he responded as he climbed a few more stairs and came face to face with his mother. "Should Dobby carry it in?"

Thimble shook her head, "No." She had given the same response every night for the past two weeks. "Thimble will do it, thanks. The bottle-"

"Dobby has it right here," he said, pulling it from his pocket and handing it over. He had asked every night for the first week why his mother wanted the broth, but she had refused to answer.

"Is-" he began hesitantly, "is Miss Hermione feeling better?" He did not know why Hermione had refused to leave her bed for the last couple weeks. He had tried to ask about that as well, but had quickly been told that it was none of his business.

Pain flashed across her features, but was hidden quickly. "No," she said, tucking the bottle beneath her arm.

He and his mother had a friendly enough relationship, and he loved her dearly, but he had always known that she put her duties above her son. He did not blame her, and he would never think to hold it against her, but as he studied the dark circles beneath her eyes he realized that he wished they were closer. For a moment he felt as if he would give anything to ask her what was wrong, and to have her answer truthfully. Instead, he smiled gently at the older elf.

"Dobby will bring Miss Hermione's breakfast in the morning," he promised, "if there's anything else…"

"Thank you, Dobby," she said, patting his hand as she moved to take the tray from him. "Goodnight."

He smiled at the back of her head, "Goodnight."

* * *

Thimble stopped at the door to Hermione's dormitory and listened as the girl let out a heart-wrenching sob. She knew for a fact that the brunette only cried aloud when she thought no one could hear.

"Miss Hermione?" She called, pushing the door open.

The room was dark, and bitterly cold. With a snap, several candles lit, shedding some light on the room. Thimble's eyes instinctively went to Hermione's bed. They widened when she saw the brunette sitting at the open window beside it.

"Miss Hermione, come away from there!" She hurried over to the young witch, and set the tray and the bottle on Hermione's bedside table. "Miss will catch her death sitting next to that window, it's raining!"

Sure enough, when Hermione turned her pale face towards Thimble, the elf could see that the witch's skin and hair was wet with raindrops. There were deep, dark circles beneath her eyes.

"I wanted to look at the forest," Hermione rasped, her eyes swimming with unshed tears. "I wanted to see…"

"It's alright, Miss," Thimble soothed, softly leading Hermione to the bed. As Hermione slid beneath the blankets, Thimble closed and locked the window, then twisted back to look at the brunette.

"Thimble brought dinner," she said.

Hermione, who was now sitting up against the headboard, flicked her eyes disinterestedly over the food. "I'm not feeling very hungry today Thimble, thank you."

This was the same response Thimble had received every time she brought food to Hermione. With a sigh, she conjured a little stool so that she could sit beside the bed. She sat, and reached for the bowl. "Please, Miss Hermione? Mistress will be very angry with Thimble when she finds out that Thimble let her little Miss get sick."

Hermione's face looked as if she had been struck, and Thimble felt a guilty pang in her chest. Nevertheless, she stubbornly scooped up a spoonful of soup, and held it out to the witch.

For a long moment it hung between them, steam arching up into aromatic curls in the gloom. Then, Hermione rasped, "Well, we wouldn't want… " she swallowed, "I don't want you to get into trouble."

It was almost painful to watch Hermione choke down half of the soup, but Thimble was very worried about Hermione's health, so she watched with a stern eye as Hermione ate half the soup, and several bites of the bread.

"I'm sorry, I don't think I can drink the rest," Hermione said after she had sipped half the glass of milk.

Thimble eyed the glass, but relented, "That's fine, Miss." With a snap she sent the tray back to the kitchens, "Very good."

Hermione sighed, and laid back, "Thank you Thimble. You don't have to stay, I'll be fine."

Thimble, who knew that Hermione would begin crying again as soon as she left, offered a small smile. "Thimble will stay a bit longer. Miss Hermione should try to sleep now."

"I don't know if I can," Hermione admitted truthfully.

Thimble scooted a little closer, and reached to smooth some of Hermione's hair away from her face. "Try," she said kindly.

Hermione closed her eyes, but the troubled look did not go away. Her brow was furrowed, and her mouth was set in a hard line.

"Good," Thimble murmured, continuing to stroke the brunette's hair. She closed her own eyes and began to hum gently. It was a special type of nanny-elf magic that was usually reserved for fussy babies and sick children. As Thimble hummed, Hermione's breath slowly evened out, signaling the fact that she had fallen asleep. When Thimble opened her eyes she breathed a sigh of relief to see that the witch's brow had smoothed, her lips relaxed in deep slumber.

Thimble gave the bushy mane one final stroke, retrieved the bottle from the bedside table, and then snapped her fingers. She disappeared with a _crack!_

The mausoleum was even colder than the dormitory had been, and Thimble quickly checked to make sure that the warming spell she had placed on Bellatrix's slumbering body was still in effect. Fortunately, it was.

Hermione had not yet told Thimble about Bellatrix's condition, she tried to every day, but somehow the words had gotten stuck in her mouth. But Hermione had not known that her explanations were unnecessary. The elf had followed them that evening, and had witnessed the whole thing. Thimble had met with the older witch right before Bellatrix went to find Hermione.

"_Thimble, you know what I intend to do tonight?" Bellatrix had asked as the two sat side by side atop a small boulder. _

_The elf had nodded, and had wiped tears away from her eyes, "Mistress told Thimble," she affirmed, "but Thimble still thinks that Mistress can find another way." Her ears drooped, "Miss Hermione will be devastated." _

_Bellatrix frowned, "It's more for her own good than anything else. He's going to have me kill her, Thimble. Do you understand? Kill her. I can't allow that to happen." _

_Thimble let out a sob, and covered her face with both hands. _

_There was a silence. Then, "Thimble, I want you to remember that I forbid you to tell Hermione about any of this."_

_Thimble nodded, and choked out, "Yes Mistress." _

"_Good," Bellatrix laid her hand gently on Thimble's shoulder, "I also forbid you to interfere tonight. In any way." _

_Thimble nodded. _

"_And I forbid you to mourn me." _

_Thimble's head snapped up, a protest burning in her eyes. _

"_Hermione will be devastated," Bellatrix continued, "and I need you to take care of her after I'm gone. You won't be able to do that if you're spending all of your time moping about." _

"_It wouldn't be 'moping about'," Thimble groused. _

_Bellatrix smiled, "That's my good elf." She got up, "Well, I think it's time." _

"_Mistress," Thimble reached out and took Bellatrix's hand, "Please…" _

"_I have to," Bellatrix said. She gave a sad smile, and wrapped her arms around the little elf. "Goodbye, Thimble. I love you." She pressed a kiss to top of the elf's head._

_This caused another round of tears, and Thimble sobbed out a barely-comprehendible "Love you too." _

Thimble had only been instructed to not interfere _that night_. She had returned in the early hours of the morning to perform the heating charm and to spoon some broth into her Mistress' mouth. Ever since she had returned every night to perform basic cleansing spells and to make sure that Bellatrix was nourished.

Two weeks later, Bellatrix looked as if she might leap up from the bed any minute.

"Miss Hermione is not doing well," Thimble said as she uncorked the bottle. She gently tilted Bellatrix's head up so that she would not choke, and poured a little of the broth into her mouth. "Thimble said she would be devastated, but Mistress did not listen."

She paused, watching the muscles in Bellatrix's throat move as she swallowed. "Thimble knows why Mistress did it," she whispered, "Thimble understands."

No other words were spoken as Thimble finished feeding Bellatrix.

As she stoppered the empty bottle there came a knock from the wall at Bellatrix's feet. The elf tensed, eyes wide as the knock sounded again.

"Good evening!" The voice of Albus Dumbledore was muffled slightly as it travelled through the stone walls of the Mausoleum. "I know you are in there, and if you would kindly come out, I believe the time has come for me to introduce myself."

* * *

Ten minutes later, a dazed Thimble found herself sitting in the Headmaster's office.

"Do you take sugar in your tea?"

Thimble shook her head, then rushed to offer, "Thimble can pour the tea, sir."

"Nonsense," Dumbledore said good-naturedly as he set the tea cup down on the desk in front of her, "You are a guest in my school, not my employee."

"Thank you, sir," Thimble said, lifting the cup with a shaking hand to take a sip.

Dumbledore nodded, and poured himself a cup. He grinned appreciatively as he drank, and smiled at the trembling elf before him.

"Now, Thimble, was it?"

Thimble nodded, "Yes sir."

He folded his hands on the desk before him, and peered at her over the tops of his half-moon glasses. "Six years ago, I was alerted to the fact that _Bellatrix Lestrange's_ elf had somehow found her way to Hogwarts. At first, I was convinced that you were here to harm Harry Potter. It made sense after all that your Mistress might ask you to strike when the boy reached Hogwarts, but when I had you followed I noticed something."

Thimble's eyes stared unblinkingly into his as she waited for him to continue.

"You did not appear to be interested in Harry Potter. In fact, you hardly ever came into contact with him. In the end, my curiosity won out-I wanted to know what your mistress was planning, you see- and I allowed you to stay."

"Then, a most curious thing happened," Dumbledore said after taking another drink from his cup, "The elf that was following you reported back to me that you seemed to be _taking care of one of the Muggleborn students_. Apparently you had taken to administering sleeping charms on the girl when she stayed up too late, you were making sure that she woke up on time in the mornings, and you had administered several healing charms when she came down with a cough. These actions are usually found among the nanny-elves of pureblood children, but as I stated, this child was a Muggleborn."

Thimble shifted uncomfortably beneath his gaze.

"I did some research on the child, and I realized that she bore the same name as a certain student who had appeared several decades before on the grounds. You know what I'm referring to?"

There was an uncertain nod from the elf.

"Well, naturally I connected the two of you and realized that this girl was indeed the same Hermione Granger. And if you were here, it meant that your mistress had commanded you here, which means that Bellatrix still cared about the well-being of the girl. Am I correct?"

Nodding, Thimble murmured, "Yes."

A smile bloomed across Dumbledore's face. "I don't know exactly what has been occurring over the past few months at my school," he said, re-filling his cup, "but I am not as weak-minded as I appear."

"The Headmaster does not appear weak-minded," Thimble protested.

"Thank you," Dumbledore grinned. "As I was saying, I have a vague idea about what has happened. Mr. Potter was here a few weeks with some very… _interesting_ questions."

There was a stretch of silence between them, as both took drinks from their cups. Then-

"Miss Granger has not been to class for some time."

Thimble's ears dropped low, and she stared into the amber liquid in her teacup.

"That, and the new structure in the Forest has led me to believe that things did not go as planned."

Her voice was so low that it was barely audible, "Mistress's plans were successful." It was too much. She knew she shouldn't have said the words as soon as they came, but she had long ago been forbidden to punish herself, so she merely lowered her head. She felt wretched.

"I see." Dumbledore's words carried a heaviness. "Is Bellatrix still alive?"

Thimble looked up at him, "Yes, sir. Thimble has kept her alive."

His eyes glimmered with promise, "Then there's hope."

* * *

Severus Snape returned to Hogwarts in the dusky hours of early morning. The castle was still quiet, and the only other creature that he saw as he made his way through the Entrance Hall was Mrs. Norris.

He expected to return to his quarters and sleep for a few hours before his first class, but as he strode through the door to his bedchamber it became apparent that his plan was going to have to be revised.

The first thing he saw was the tired face of Dumbledore. The Headmaster was smiling mildly as he rocked back and forth in a chair beside Snape's bed.

Then the potion master's eyes landed on the figure that was stretched out on his bed.

"Bellatrix!" He hissed, striding to hover above her. She was paler than he had ever seen her, and he quickly pressed two fingers to the vein in her neck.

"She's alive," Dumbledore said in that maddeningly calm voice.

Sure enough, Snape felt the faintest thump of a pulse beneath her skin. "What happened?" He demanded, turning to stare at the Headmaster.

Dumbledore rocked on. "I do not know for certain," he said, "But I am sure that it had something to do with Miss Granger. Minerva will be fetching her after the other students have gone to their classes. I do know that she will not wake."

Snape felt a headache forming behind his eyes, "And why," he asked slowly, "is she _here_?"

"I can't put her in the hospital wing, can I?" Dumbledore chuckled.

Snape was glad that one of them was amused by this. "If she isn't going to wake then shouldn't we transfer her to St. Mungo's?"

"I have a feeling that she may be waking up soon enough," Dumbledore replied. His chair squeaked a little as he shifted to a more comfortable position. "In the meantime, Severus, perhaps you should get a cauldron ready. And review that-"

Snape followed the direction of Dumbledore's gaze, and picked up the ancient tome. "Cernog's diary?" He questioned.

That infuriating glint was in Dumbledore's eye again. "I have a feeling it might be useful."

Snape sighed. "What are you planning this time?"

"I am not planning anything, merely assisting."

"And what does that mean?" snapped Snape.

Dumbledore chuckled again, and heaved himself to his feet. "All in good time, Severus," he patted the younger man on the shoulder as he made his way to the door, "all in good time."

* * *

Disclaimer: The world of Harry Potter belongs to the fantastic J.K. Rowling, not me. My story was written for entertainment purposes only, and not for profit.


	2. Chapter 2

Something cold was dripping onto Harry's face-pulling him slowly from the slumber he had been enjoying.

"Mister Harry Potter _must _wake up!"

Harry frowned at the impatient voice, trying to identify the speaker. His body was slow to respond, however, and the steady dripping was replaced by a surge of icy liquid.

"Argh!" Harry leapt from his bed, his heart thundering within his ribcage. "What-who-" his hand groped shakily for his glasses, which he immediately crammed onto his face so that he could see.

"Dobby?" He asked, his irritation fading marginally as he squinted at the elf standing before him. It was still dark, but he could make out the faint outline of the other being. More importantly, he could see the bucket of water that had just roused him. _This had better be important_, he thought with a yawn.

"It is not Dobby," the elf replied in a nervous voice, "It is Thimble."

Harry nodded sleepily as the information took a few moments to register. When it did, his head snapped up, "Thimble? Dobby's mother?"

"Yes, Mister Harry Potter," Harry could see her ears flap as she nodded, "Thimble is Dobby's mother. Thimble is also the elf of Mistress Be-"

"Shh!" Harry cut her off as Neville let out a loud snore. He listened carefully to make sure that the others were still asleep, then grabbed his wand. Motioning towards the door, he led Thimble into the stairwell.

"I don't want to wake them," he explained.

The stairwell was well-lit, and he could now make out Thimble's anxious expression.

"Is it Hermione?" He asked, suddenly alarmed. "Has something happened to her? Lavender said she's been ill-"

"Miss Hermione is… coping," Thimble sighed. Her eyes fell, "She has been having a difficult time."

For a moment Harry thought the elf was going to burst into tears, but she seemed to pull herself together. Her shoulders straightened and she pulled her determined gaze up to meet Harry's questioning one.

"Thimble needs Harry Potter's help."

Fifteen minutes later Harry was following the little elf down the Grand Staircase towards the portrait of Percival Pratt. Both were hidden securely beneath the Invisibility Cloak.

"So if Hermione cursed Bellatrix with eternal sleep then why do you need me?" He asked.

Thimble pulled the portrait away from the wall, revealing the passage that led to the Boathouse. She did not answer until they were both inside, and Harry had illuminated the tip of his wand.

"The Headmaster believes he knows the location of Godric Gryffindor's actual special potions collection." She started down the steps, "Mister Harry Potter can take his cloak off now, no one else is here."

"Dumbledore thinks we can find the potion?" Harry asked as he stuffed the cloak into his pocket.

Nodding, the little elf did not slow her quick steps as she practically galloped down the stone steps, "The Headmaster was very optimistic."

"And it'll work, even though she has this curse on her?"

There was a sigh that reminded Harry of Hermione, "Thimble does not know for sure, but Miss Hermione said something about the potion reversing everything that has happened after the age that is chosen. It will be as if the curse never happened."

"Oh right," Harry said, remembering that he was the one who 'discovered' the potion in the first place. _It is very early_, he reminded himself.

They reached the bottom of the staircase, and Harry eyed the rows of neatly stacked rowboats. "So where are we going to find this potion?" he asked.

There was a clink that signified she had set down the bucket. Then Thimble's voice came from the edge of the dock, "In Gryffindor's crypt."

Harry turned in time to see the little elf jump into the water.

* * *

Hermione let out a breath of relief when Lavender finally left for breakfast. She was always the last out the door, and she never missed an opportunity to "check on" Hermione.

It would have been sweet if not for the fact that Hermione was convinced the other girl was acting purely so that she could feel important. Lavender had never been so concerned before.

Hermione buried her head in her pillow and prepared to drift back into sleep.

It was then that she heard the door open, and a brisk click of footsteps upon the floorboards.

Her whole body stiffened as her hangings were pulled open. She did not move her face from the pillow, sensing that the light would hurt her eyes. She said nothing as she waited for the intruder to speak.

"Miss Granger," Professor McGonagall's voice was uncharacteristically gentle, "I understand that you are out-of-sorts at the moment, but I'm afraid that you need to come with me. I will wait outside until you are dressed."

Hermione did not move until she heard the door close again. For a brief moment she considered going back to sleep, but she reluctantly extracted herself from the tangle of blankets and sheets.

_It's better to get this over with_, she told herself as she performed a basic cleansing spell to rid her skin of the grime that had accumulated during her time in bed. Her limbs were stiff as she changed into her school robes, but she hardly noticed. Her head felt fuzzy and sluggish.

She ignored the mirror that hung by the door as she opened it.

McGonagall said nothing about Hermione's disheveled appearance. Instead, she peered sympathetically at the miserable girl. "The Headmaster would like to speak with you, if you're ready?"

Hermione nodded, and refused to meet her professor's gaze. Instead, she stared at the tips of her shoes.

"We'd better not keep him waiting," McGonagall said at last, though there was a note of disappointment in her voice. She turned to head down the staircase.

Hermione let out a breath she had not realized that she had been holding and followed McGonagall.

* * *

"What are you doing?" Harry shouted, rushing to the edge of the stone dock.

Thimble had surfaced, and was bobbing like a cork in the dark water, her eyes trained fiercely on Harry's.

"The Headmaster told Thimble that she could find the passage to Gryffindor's crypt beneath the Boathouse," she squeaked. The chattering of her teeth betrayed how cold the water must have been.

"You didn't say anything about swimming," Harry grumbled, pushing the invisibility cloak down deeper in his pocket to prevent it from falling out. He crammed his glasses into the other pocket. Gripping his wand tightly, he jumped in.

The water was bitterly cold. It felt like he was being stuck with pins all over his body. He came up sputtering.

"Mister Harry Potter must take a deep breath," Thimble instructed as he coughed up some of the water he had swallowed when he had landed, "the passage might be very far down-"

"Do you even know where it is?" Harry asked, eyes widening incredulously.

Her ears flapped as she shook her head, "No."

There was a moment when Harry briefly imagined jumping out of the water and heading for breakfast. But of course, he knew he would never do that to Hermione. He nodded to the elf, and glanced at the still-lit tip of his wand to reassure himself that they would not be diving in the dark.

Something close to gratitude shone in her eyes, as if she could read his thoughts. "Ready?"

He nodded.

Together, both inhaled deeply. Then, with surprising grace Harry had not expected, Thimble glided under the water.

He followed, somewhat awkwardly. She seemed to swim with movements akin to those he had seen mermaids make while Harry scrambled against the stone of the dock-finding handholds that helped him scramble after the elf. Luckily for him, the dock seemed to extend all the way to the bottom of the lake.

The light from his wand allowed him to see Thimble's arm wave from what appeared to be a narrow crevice in the rocks. He quickly made his way over to her.

Thimble had found a small passageway cut into the stone of the dock. It was impossible to tell how far into the castle it went, but Harry hoped desperately that they would find an air pocket soon. His lungs had started to burn, and he struggled not to panic as he followed Thimble down the passageway.

His lungs screamed for air as the two followed the passage around a bend. He struggled to hold onto his wand as little black spots filled his vision. _It can't end like this_ he thought, _it has to surface soon!_

Just when he thought that he would pass out, he felt Thimble's strong fingers close around his upper arm. He was being pulled up, and then-

Air! He drank it in, taking deep breaths. It filled his lungs with a musty sweetness that he felt he would never take for granted again.

"Thank you!" gasped Harry at the little elf, who blushed in return.

They had come up into a circular chamber. The mosaicked walls glittered in the light from Harry's wand. Millions of brightly colored shards created a stunning panorama of the castle and it's grounds. Harry quickly pulled his glasses from his pocket, put them on, and stared wondrously at the scene.

"There is a ladder, Mister Harry Potter," Thimble's voice echoed around him, and he turned to see the elf standing next to a stone ladder that climbed out of the water. He smiled gratefully as he pulled himself out.

"Please call me Harry," he said, suddenly realizing that he had not said anything yet.

Thimble just shook her head a little, "Mister Harry Potter is cold," she remarked.

Harry had been so preoccupied with the fact that he could breathe again that he did not notice the little puffs of steam that his breath created. But now that she had pointed it out he was aware of how cold the chamber was. "Oh," he said lamely.

There was a snap, and Harry felt as if he had been engulfed in a pocket of warmth. His pyjamas were suddenly dry, as was the rest of him. A grin stretched across his face, "Thank you!"

Another blush tinted her cheeks, and she cleared her throat a few times, "Well, hopefully this is the right chamber," she squeaked, moving towards a large passageway. Harry did not hide his smile as he followed.

There were no torches to light their way, but the mosaic continued into the passageway- depicting scenes from what Harry assumed was the construction of the castle; as well as reflecting the light from Harry's wand so that it glittered around them.

He found himself enjoying the long walk as his eyes roamed over the various scenes. In one, Salazar Slytherin and Godric Gryffindor stood clasping hands at the foot of the Grand Staircase. Another showed Rowena Ravenclaw bent over a desk, a quill in her hand as she made a notation in one of the tomes before her. Yet another showed Helga Hufflepuff happily stirring a pot in the Hogwarts Kitchens. While the scenes did not move the way that magical paintings did, it seemed to Harry that he could see the figures in each of the scenes _breathing_, as if they were holding still until after he left.

"This is amazing," he said.

Thimble cast a glance back at him, but did not reply. If anything, she quickened her already brisk pace, prompting Harry to break into a jog in order to keep up.

_For someone with such short legs_, thought Harry, _she moves remarkably fast._

She did not slow down until they had reached the end of the passageway, when she halted so quickly that Harry had to hop to the side to avoid accidentally kicking her.

They had come to another circular chamber. Instead of mosaics, the walls were carved with words in different languages. Here and there Harry thought he recognized Latin sentences, but most of it was totally foreign to him. Four passageways were carved into the stone, each with one of the four House crests above it. Harry's eyes immediately sought out the Gryffindor lion, and he spotted the Gryffindor passage in the middle, next to Slytherin.

"Wait," said Thimble when he began to move forward. She was rummaging in what appeared to be a pocket on the side of the towel she was wearing.

Harry's eyes widened in surprise as she pulled _Gryffindor's sword_ out, and handed it to him.

"Where did you get that?" he asked.

Thimble smiled at his astonishment, "The Headmaster," then her face turned serious.

"Mister Harry Potter must not speak when we enter the passage," she said in a grave tone. "It will be dangerous if he does. Wizards," she looked around the chamber, a nervous expression on her face, "should not be here."

"Then why did you bring me?"

Thimble's eyes, their green a slightly faded version of Dobby's, turned back to him. "Thimble needs a Gryffindor to get in," she said. "Only true Gryffindor's can open the crypt."

"Then how will you get in?"

"Thimble is an elf," she said, as if the answer were obvious, "Thimble cannot open the crypt, but Thimble can go wherever she wants."

Harry felt an uncomfortable prickle on the back of his neck as S.P.E.W. came into his mind. He was certain that this was one of those "Elves are not human, and therefore are not considered," sort of things.

"I won't say anything," he promised, gripping the sword.

Nodding, Thimble started towards the Gryffindor passage. Harry followed, hoping that they would find what they were looking for.

* * *

Hermione felt a mild start of surprise when, instead of leading her to Dumbledore's office, McGonagall led her down into the Dungeons.

A mix of curiosity and dread mixed in her stomach as she followed her professor past the Potions classroom. They also passed the corridor that led to the Slytherin common room.

McGonagall stopped abruptly at a door near the end of the corridor, and rapped sharply on the wood.

"I've brought Miss Granger," she informed him as she ushered the girl into what must have been Snape's personal quarters. They had entered what appeared to be a small sitting room. There were several stiff-looking armchairs, a table, and several well-stocked bookcases. "Now will you tell me why I had to bring her all the way down- _Albus_," horror filled McGonagall's voice, "what is the meaning of this?"

Hermione went rigid when she finally saw what had surprised McGonagall. A bed was clearly visible through the open door that led to Snape's bedchamber, and on the bed-

McGonagall's voice was scandalized, "_Bellatrix_?"

* * *

_Why are all of these passages so long_? Thought Harry as he and Thimble walked down the winding passage. His stomach complained loudly every few minutes, reminding him that he was exerting himself quite a bit on an empty stomach.

They rounded another bend, and Harry nearly yelled his surprise when he saw what was waiting for them.

The passageway was mostly walled off. A tiny door was flanked by two familiar-looking lion statues. Harry was very happy when they remained still. That was not the surprising part however.

Standing in front of the door was an elf. Or at least, Harry thought it was an elf. His skin was grey, and looked to be made from the same stone as the lions. He had a beard that was so long it lay coiled upon the floor at his feet. He wore a burlap sack, and held a tall golden staff that was encrusted with rubies. His eyes were milky white, and Harry's skin crawled as he stared into the opaque orbs.

When the ancient elf spoke, it sounded as if the sound was being made by someone rubbing two rocks together.

"They call us Gryff. We are the loyal house elf of Master Godric Gryffindor."

Harry did not know who 'we' were, and he found himself looking around for signs of another elf. When he did not find any, he returned to his wary observation of the interaction between the elves.

Thimble stepped forward, her little shoulders squared, "They call me Thimble. I am the loyal house elf of Mistress Bellatrix Lestrange. This is Harry Potter, a true Gryffindor."

Gryff cocked his head, "We shall decide if that is true or not."

Thimble motioned for Harry to step forward, and the wizard obeyed. There was a sickly-sweet smell emanating from the old elf, and Harry fought to control his expression as he bent down in front of him.

"Give us the sword," came the demand.

Harry complied, handing over the sword and watching as the elf examined it.

"Give us your hand."

Stretching out his hand, Harry had to bite down on his tongue to keep from exclaiming when the elf scratched his hand with a gnarled fingernail.

A thin trickle of blood seeped from the scratch, and Gryff ran his fingers over it. He then dabbed his fingers on the door behind him. Harry felt a twinge of revulsion as his blood glistened on the stone door.

Then, there was a shuffling noise as the door slowly opened.

"We are satisfied," Gryff groaned, "Why have you come to us?"

"Thimble is seeking a potion for her Mistress." The elf stepped closer.

Gryff squared his jaw, "You have come to the wrong place, then. We are not an apothecary."

"There is only one potion that can save Mistress," Thimble pressed, a note of desperation in her voice, "Thimble needs to find the Second Chance potion! The headmaster thinks it might be here, with the wizard who created it."

"He is right, but that does not change the fact that we cannot grant this request."

"Oh please," Thimble cried, throwing herself onto her knees, "Thimble must save her Mistress. Thimble will do anything! _Anything!_"

"Anything?" A thoughtful expression came across the elf's face. "Come here," he stretched out his hands.

Thimble staggered to her feet, and stumbled closer to the ancient elf.

He placed his hands on either side of her face, and muttered a word that Harry did not recognize.

Thimble convulsed, yelping in pain as she shook between his hands. Harry sprang forward with the intent to pull her away, but before he reached her she was released.

Harry caught her just before she fell to the floor. His brow furrowed as he cast a glare towards the elderly elf, but he kept his mouth shut as he helped Thimble regain her footing. She rubbed her temples gently, wincing here and there.

"You have seen a great many things," the elf commented in his gravelly voice, "We can see why you seek the potion. We must think about this."

Harry patted Thimble on the back as the older elf proceeded to stare into the distance. He was beginning to think that he did not like Gryff very much. His grumbling stomach endorsed this thinking as the minutes stretched between them.

Finally, the elf turned his face towards the pair before him.

"We have decided that your cause is a worthy one. We would like to give you a chance. Are you willing to perform the House Elf's Test?"

Harry's brow wrinkled in confusion, but Thimble answered without hesitation.

"Of course."

Gryff nodded, and handed the sword back to Harry, then slowly bent to gather his beard in his arms. "Follow us," he said, turning to shuffle through the door.

"Wait here," said Thimble, without looking at Harry.

Harry had no choice but to wait as Thimble disappeared through the door.

* * *

Hermione moved forward without thinking, crossing through the door until she stood at the foot of the bed. Her eyes stared unblinking into the face of the woman she loved more than anything else in the world, and she felt as if her heart was breaking all over again.

"Is she…" McGonagall seemed unable to answer the sentence.

"She is alive," supplied Dumbledore, and Hermione found herself breathing slightly easier, "but barely. Her elf has been keeping her from death."

Hermione felt hot tears slide down her cheeks. She did not know how Thimble had learned about Bellatrix's condition, but she was suddenly very grateful for the elf.

"She cannot stay here," McGonagall gasped, "If she wakes-"

A voice darted from the corner, startling both Hermione and McGonagall.

"She won't wake," Snape informed the Deputy Headmistress, "your student has cursed her."

"Is this true?" McGonagall asked.

Hermione nodded vaguely, her eyes still focused on Bellatrix. "She forced me to," she rasped.

"And why was that?" Snape asked, his voice dripping with something that sounded a lot like bitterness.

Hermione licked her lips, "She said that-that _he_ was going to make her kill me. She didn't want to do that, and she d-didn't want to ask the Order for help. She doesn't want," the rest of her words came out in a whisper, "to b-be alive anymore."

Snape approached the bed so that he was standing next to Hermione, "_Stupid_," he hissed.

Whipping her head up in surprise, Hermione expected to meet his disdainful gaze, but instead he was glaring at Bellatrix's motionless form.

_He still cares about her_, she realized. She knew from the memories that the two had once been close, but she had thought that their _friendship_, if it could be called that, had survived.

"Miss Granger," Dumbledore's voice pulled her out of her thoughts, "I believe that you were recently searching for a potion that would, let's say, turn back the clock for Bellatrix?"

"It doesn't exist," Hermione said hollowly, turning her eyes back to Bellatrix.

"What if I told you," she could hear the smile in Dumbledore's voice even without looking at him, "that it _might_?"

* * *

There were three hundred and twelve bricks making up the wall that ended the passage. Harry had counted them six times to make sure. The roar of his stomach had long ago quieted to a pained ache.

He sat slouched against the stone wall of the passageway, the sword beside him. He had briefly made a half-hearted attempt to review the things he had learned in his last Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson, but his mind kept wandering to Thimble.

He had come up with various scenarios of what might be happening. In the best-case scenario, Thimble got to have tea and answer a few questions while a basket full of fat kittens played at her feet. In the worst case scenario she had to ride a dragon into a lake of magma while wearing a cape of broken glass.

He distracted himself from thought of the latter by gathering up the pebbles on the ground and seeing if he could throw them into the lions' mouths. Their teeth kept getting in the way, but he was determined to succeed.

He finally succeeded in getting the tiniest pebble he had found into one of their mouths when the ancient elf reappeared.

Harry almost asked about Thimble before he remembered that he was not allowed to speak. He had to settle for staring questioningly at the ancient elf.

Gryff remained silent.

Something had gone wrong. Harry was sure of it. His heart pounded in his chest as he pictured the magma-dragon scene, and he swiftly turned to pick up the sword. Maybe the old elf would be more motivated if there was a sword pointed at his face.

But another movement from the doorway stopped him.

Bellatrix's elf emerged from the crypt with scratches all over her forearms, scorch-marks on her towel, bruises covering her tiny body, and…

A potion bottle.

Harry gave her his happiest grin, which she returned victoriously.

"We are impressed," Gryff said. "We hope that your Mistress uses her second chance wisely."

"Thank you," Thimble said to Gryff, clutching the bottle close to her heart. There were tears pouring from her eyes, but she radiated happiness.

"Let's get this to Miss Hermione," she chirped to Harry, a determined look on her face as she barreled towards the Passageway.

Harry spun to keep up, but was halted by Gryff's voice.

"We wish Harry Potter luck in his endeavors against this Dark Lord."

Harry nodded, and waved goodbye as he hastened to follow Thimble. She was already shouting back to him-

"Hurry Mister Harry Potter, hurry!"

* * *

Hermione sat in a chair at Bellatrix's bedside. It had been several hours since she had told the story of how Bellatrix came to be asleep, and both McGonagall and Dumbledore had agreed that she deserved some alone time with the dark witch.

McGonagall had been appalled by the rule-breaking, and Hermione had the feeling that if it weren't for the fact that she had removed Voldemort's strongest lieutenant from the picture she would have taken a hefty sum of points from Gryffindor. Though probably not enough, by Snape's standards. Throughout her story, the former potions master had been very liberal with the words "expulsion" and "had you been in Slytherin."

Dumbledore, on the other hand, had not mentioned the risks or the significant lack of regard she had for both her own personal safety and the school rules. He had merely made sympathetic noises here and there, and had passed her his handkerchief when she was crying too hard to talk.

She sat there, her hands clasped around one of Bellatrix's. The warmth of the skin beneath her fingers provided a small amount of comfort, though she did not dare to hope that a solution could be found.

A commotion from the sitting room caused her to look up. The door sprang open, and Harry was bursting into the room, a large grin on his face.

"She did it!" He crowed, rushing to pull Hermione up.

"She did what?" Hermione asked, a pulse of hope blooming in her chest.

But Harry did not answer. Instead, he pushed the brunette through the door, where she was greeted by the happy faces of McGonagall, Dumbledore, and Thimble.

The next thing she knew, a potion bottle full of purple liquid was being pressed into her hands. It took her a moment to register, then-

"YOU DID IT!" Hermione squealed. Happiness burst within her chest. She bent to scoop the elf into a tight embrace, kissing her all over her face. Harry was next, blushing as Hermione peppered his cheek with kisses. Then she was laughing as she hugged them both.

"Thimble is glad to see Miss Hermione smile again," the elf commented, her face tomato red.

Even Snape allowed a small smile to flash across his face when he learned the news. It was quickly replaced by his usual stoic expression, of course.

"I do hope this means you'll be finding more suitable accommodations for her," he drawled, "the second half of the potion will need to brew for at least a month, and I would like to sleep before then."

* * *

In the end, Bellatrix was moved to a room next to McGonagall's office. It was sealed off so that no students could stumble in to discover the sleeping Death Eater, and McGonagall created a second door that was accessible through her office.

The room was small and bare save for the bed that Bellatrix rested on, and a set of chairs that had been placed there so that the six people who knew about the room and it's occupant would be able to sit when they visited.

Hermione visited daily, sometimes bringing Harry, usually accompanying Thimble.

"You know that we have to tell Ron, right?"

Hermione looked up from her Advanced Transfiguration book, "Of course."

They were sitting on opposite sides of Bellatrix's bed, both with their schoolbooks open. But while Hermione appeared to be actually reading her book, Harry was gazing thoughtfully through the open window to where the edge of the Quidditch field could be seen. The late afternoon light filled the room with a warm glow.

"He's going to find out sooner or later. Personally, I think we should have told him as soon as we found the potion."

Exasperation marked Hermione's features as she opened her mouth to retort, but she was cut off as the door popped open.

"Thimble brought apples," the elf announced happily as she hefted a basket filled with red apples through the door.

The book Harry had been holding closed with a snap as he leaned forward eagerly to take the largest one. Ever since he and Thimble had returned from their adventure the elf had gone out of her way to supply him with food. "Thanks!" he said gratefully, biting into the crisp flesh.

"Thank you, Thimble," Hermione said, closing her own book and setting it on the edge of Bellatrix's bed. She bit into her own apple, and munched contentedly as the three of them sat in friendly silence.

A warm May breeze ruffled Hermione's hair, bringing with it the springy scent of wet earth and new grass. She breathed it in deeply, feeling as if everything- for once- was going to work out.

It was at that moment that the door sprang open a second time, and the beaming face of Albus Dumbledore paraded into the room, followed closely by McGonagall and Snape.

"Is it ready," Hermione asked, her eyes wide. She had leapt to her feet the moment she saw the look in the headmaster's eyes.

He nodded, "Professor Snape has determined that it is," he said. "He administered the unicorn blood this morning, as you can see-"

Hermione's eyes sought out the vial of liquid that Snape was holding. It was now clear, but it seemed to glitter with all the colors of the rainbow.

"If everything goes as planned, Bellatrix will wake up as a sixth-year once again."

Hermione nodded. Dumbledore and Snape believed that the potion would subtract the years from the date that the potion was administered. If they were correct, Bellatrix would wake up with all of her memories up to May 13th of her sixth year. Dumbledore had kindly explained this when she had nervously confessed her fears that Bellatrix would wake up on her 17th birthday- and therefore would not remember Hermione's confession about her time travelling.

It was perfect. May 13th was a few days after their battle in the field behind the Muggle village. There were a few memories from their last month together that Hermione would have liked Bellatrix to remember, but she was beyond ecstatic that Bellatrix would remember most of their time in school together.

"It may take a few days to take effect," Snape cautioned her as he moved towards the head of the bed. "And there is still a chance that it will not work at all."

Nodding her understanding, Hermione watched with eagle eyes as Snape tipped the contents of the vial down Bellatrix's throat.

There was a moment in which all eyes were fixed on the sleeping witch. Not a sound was made as they waited for something to happen.

"Nothing happened," Harry stated unnecessarily. Hermione's heart sank a little, but she refused to lose hope this soon after she had replenished it.

"Well, it appears as if this will not be an 'instant fix'," Dumbledore chuckled. "Someone once told me that all good things take time, so perhaps it's for the best."

Hermione lowered herself back into her chair, and reached out to grip Bellatrix's hand. She fully intended to remain there until she knew for certain whether or not the potion worked.

Several hours later McGonagall sent an elf with a tray heaped with food for Hermione and Harry.

Her friend remained at her side until McGonagall returned to their office hours later and ordered him to bed. To Hermione's surprise, however, the professor conjured up a cot so that she could sleep next to Bellatrix.

"It will be better if she sees a familiar face when she wakes," McGonagall had explained.

The next morning, as she leaned over the bed to check on the dark witch, Hermione let out a shout of surprise. "Professor!"

Moments later a slightly ruffled McGonagall rushed into the room, "Has she woken, is she breathing?"

"She's breathing," Hermione assured, feeling somewhat guilty at the flustered look on her professor's face, "she hasn't woken yet, but look!"

McGonagall examined the motionless figure, excitement entering her eyes. Bellatrix's hair, which had been previously streaked with grey, was now the smooth glossy black that it had been in her youth. In addition, the fine lines around her eyes and mouth were almost completely smoothed away.

"This is a very good sign," McGonagall said slowly, and a rare grin split across her face, "a _very_ good sign."

Hermione felt as if she did not blink once in the three days it took for the potion to work its magic. McGonagall came in at regular intervals to make sure that Hermione stretched and took care of her basic needs.

Hermione might not have agreed to leaving the room at all if it weren't for the fact that Thimble (who had appeared shortly after McGonagall had sent Harry away that first night, and had not left the room since) mentioned something about Hermione not wanting Bellatrix to wake up to a smelly girlfriend.

The brunette had squeaked in indignation, and then promptly fled the room to bathe and change.

On the third night, however, nothing in the world could have moved Hermione from that room.

All of the scars, wrinkles, and signs of the hardships Bellatrix had survived were gone. The figure on the bed so little resembled the woman Bellatrix had become, that Harry had stared when he first laid eyes on her.

Her figure was fuller, her cheeks rounded, her skin smooth.

"She looks good," Harry commented, his eyes still wide as he sat down beside his friend.

There was a soft laugh, and Hermione reached to stroke a stray curl away from Bellatrix's face.

"I can see why you- I mean, it makes more sense now that I-" embarrassment colored his cheeks as he fell silent.

"Wait till you hear her speak," Hermione said, her eyes shining as they trained patiently on Bellatrix's face.

The rejuvenated features wrinkled a little in sleep, and Harry jumped nearly a foot in the air.

"She's been doing that all day," Hermione laughed. She didn't mention that she had done the same thing the first time she felt Bellatrix's hand tighten around hers. "I hope she wakes up soon."

"I believe she will."

The two students turned to see Dumbledore enter the room, accompanied by Professor McGonagall.

"I thought I'd come keep you company as we wait for Miss Black to wake up."

"Miss Black?" Harry asked, surprised.

McGonagall nodded as she took the seat next to Dumbledore opposite the two students, "Professor Dumbledore has asked Kingsley to retrieve the Ministry's copy of the marriage certificate between Bellatrix and Rodolphus."

Dumbledore smiled, "It seems that Miss Black's signature faded early this morning, voiding the marriage."

Thimble, who was sitting on a stool next to Hermione grinned triumphantly at her mistress.

Hermione could not hold back the delighted laugh that bubbled out from her chest. She beamed at Harry, and at the two Professors. "That's fantastic news!"

"What's fantastic news?" A sleepy voice joined the conversation.

The five other beings in the room stiffened, and stared wide eyed at the form between them.

Bellatrix, her eyes bleary from sleep, blinked up at them. "What happened?" She asked, her voice like a balm on Hermione's nerves.

The dark witch clasped Hermione's hand tightly as her eyes landed on Harry. "Who are you?" she demanded.

In a perfect world, Hermione would not have chosen Bellatrix's first words to Harry to sound _so much like her nephew_. The tone dripped with the same authority that was characteristic of the Slytherins.

She opened her mouth to introduce the young wizard, but was stopped when she noticed Bellatrix staring at Professor McGonagall.

The dark witch rubbed her eyes, and gaped at the older professor in a way that was almost offensive. Her eyes flicked back and forth between McGonagall and Hermione, and then the confusion cleared.

A proud smile stretched from ear to ear as she fixed her gaze on the brunette. "I knew you could do it!" Then, in front of everyone, she launched forward and pressed a kiss to Hermione's lips.

The four humans gave Bellatrix a rough description of what had happened (Hermione promised to fill in more of the blanks the next day) while Thimble summoned all of the dark witch's favorite foods from the kitchens.

Hermione had allowed Bellatrix to pull her up onto the bed when Dumbledore summarized the events that led to her being placed under the sleeping curse. Of course the Headmaster did not know all of the details, but Hermione found herself unable to talk about it. She merely leaned against her love as the other witch wrapped an arm protectively around her and listened with rapt attention to every word that came from Dumbledore's mouth.

Then, it was Harry's turn. He told the witch all about the adventure he and Thimble had gone on to collect the potion.

"So it's really Thimble we have to thank for this," he explained, nodding to where the little elf was standing quietly beside the bed- tears were running down her face and dripping from the edge of her long nose.

"I see," Bellatrix said, warmth shining from her eyes as she beamed at the elf. She leaned down and scooped the elf into the bed between her and Hermione. She laughed and pressed a kiss to the top of Thimble's head.

"Thank you Thimble," she said seriously, hugging the elf close, "you are the best elf in the world. I don't know what I would have done without you."

As Thimble burst into tears, Dumbledore signaled to Harry. Quietly, without disturbing the little reunion, the headmaster, McGonagall, and Harry crept from the room.

"I think it's safe to say," there was a merry glint in Dumbledore's eye, "that the potion worked."

And then Harry stared in astonishment as Professor McGonagall burst into a roar of laughter.

* * *

A/N: I had a lot of trouble writing this chapter, so I hope you guys liked it!

I'm hoping to post the final chapter in two weeks. It is an epilogue, and will take place 19 years in the future. There will be a lot of flashbacks to fill in some of the gaps. It's mostly written, but I keep revising it (I'm having trouble deciding what to include and what not to include), so I wanted to give you all the option of suggesting things you'd like to see. If you have any questions that you'd like to be answered (i.e. do Hermione and Bellatrix survive the war?) please leave a review and let me know what it is. I'll do my best to fit it in.

If your questions cannot be worked into the final chapter for whatever reason I will send you a PM with my answer. Also, please not that this story is rated "T", so no "M" or "MA" questions please.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING! As always, I could not have made it this far without your support and your wonderful reviews!


	3. Chapter 3

**I just wanted to clarify that the potion only reverses Bellatrix, it does not affect the past. So unfortunately Sirius is still dead, and the Longbottoms were still tortured to insanity. On the bright side, the people she killed during the final book are still alive! On the not-so-plus side, she doesn't actually **_**kill**_** that many people.**

**Also- my beta suggested that I start a third part of this series. It would be mainly one-shots from Bellatrix and Hermione's life during and after the war. What do you think? Should I leave it where it is? **

**I hope you like this chapter! Thank you to everyone who reviewed with questions (I hope I answered all of them!), and to everyone who reviewed in general. I would never have made it this far without your support. You guys are the best!**

**Let me know what you think!**

* * *

Nineteen Years Later…

"- and that's how we defeated Voldemort and his followers. Together."

Harry cleared his throat a few times, and pushed his glasses farther up onto the bridge of his nose. He looked out at the wide-eyed students, "Are there any questions?"

A dozen hands shot up, and he grinned. Every year towards the end of September he visited the Defense Against the Dark Arts class to tell the story of how the Second Wizarding War was won to the new first-years.

He nodded at a small blonde Hufflepuff in the front row, and she leaned forward eagerly.

"Was it hard to break into the Ministry?"

There was a chorus of snickers from a group of Ravenclaw students towards the back of the classroom, prompting the professor to clear her throat threateningly.

"Well, it wasn't easy," Harry said kindly. "We had to brew Polyjuice Potion, and then find four Ministry officials to impersonate-"

"I heard that one of you was _splinched_," came a haughty voice that belonged to one of the Ravenclaw boys.

"Collins!" barked the professor, "If you have something to say you need to raise your hand."

"Sorry professor Black," grumbled the boy, though he continued to look expectantly up at Harry.

Harry shared a look with Bellatrix, and then nodded, "That's right. We were discovered when the potion wore off, and we had to escape quickly. Yes?"

Another Hufflepuff girl beamed up at him, "Did it get boring- you know, when you were on the run?"

A grin spread across his face, "Well, let's just say that your professor isn't a big fan of boredom."

_Bellatrix sighed, and tossed a rock at the invisible wall that surrounded the tent. A triumphant grin flashed across her face when it bounced off and flew towards the tent. She walked around the perimeter a few times- testing the security wards to make sure they were still working. When she was satisfied that they were still safe, she ducked back through the door. _

"_Everything's clear," announced Bellatrix as she strode towards the table where her three companions were researching. _

_Hermione hummed a greeting, but other than that the group remained focused on their books. _

_Flopping down beside the brunette, Bellatrix rested her head against Hermione's shoulder. The sound of rustling pages filled the space. Hermione was the only one who did not look as if she was about to fall asleep, although Ron (who was still trying to make up for the fact that he had abandoned them) was making a valiant effort to stay on task. Bellatrix watched him for a full minute as he unblinkingly studied the pages. _

"_We need a break," Bellatrix decided suddenly. _

_Hermione looked at the other girl in shock- "We've only just started!" _

"_Hermione, we've been at this for hours!"_

"_Maybe she's right, Hermione," Harry closed his book, "We could use a break." _

"_You're going to ruin your eyes," teased Bellatrix. She could tell that Hermione was thinking about it. "And it's common knowledge that people are more productive when they take short breaks." _

_She knew she had won when Hermione sighed, and reached for her bookmark. Her eyes flashed excitedly as she turned to Harry, "Teacup races?"_

_He nodded, "Of course!" _

_He and Bellatrix had invented the game during the long winter nights after Ron had left. It had started as a way to distract Harry and Hermione from the redhead's absence, and had quickly become their favorite way of unwinding. _

_The raven-haired witch rummaged through the bag at the foot of her bed. She withdrew a wooden box that contained teacups of various patterns. _

"_Blue for Harry," she passed him a blue-patterned cup. _

"_Green for Hermione," murmured Bellatrix as she set the brunette's favorite cup down. _

_She pulled her own favorite-a white one etched with gold flowers- and then turned a critical eye on the remaining member of their group. _

_Ron had refused to take a break with them in the last few weeks, though it was partially because she had not invited him to join them. Although she had not been as angry as Hermione, she was still plenty irritated with the boy. Especially because he made some not-so-subtle hints that she might be purposefully leading them astray before he left. He had apologized, and she had forgiven him, but the accusations had stung. _

_Still, she decided that he had been punished enough, and held out a pink cup. "Hopefully you're better than Harry," she said, "Hermione and I could use some competition." _

"_I beat you both last time!" protested Harry. _

"_Only because we let you," shot Bellatrix. She smiled when Ron took the cup. _

_Hermione explained the rules as Harry and Bellatrix cleared off the table- "You transfigure legs for the teacup, like this-" she muttered the spell, and four green legs sprouted from the bottom of the teacup, "And then we put them at one end of the table and see which one makes it to the end first." _

"_That's it?" asked Ron. He had tried to copy the spell, and four stubby legs sprouted from the base of his cup. _

_Harry chuckled as he transfigured his own cup, "It's more exciting than it sounds. You'll see." _

_And he did. Within minutes he was shouting insults at the pink cup as it toppled over onto it's side- it's legs waving frantically as it tried to right itself while the others toddled past. Bellatrix's shouts were equally as severe as her cup crashed into Ron's and hopped up in down in a futile attempt to jump over it. "Go around!" She hissed, "Around!" _

"_No wands!" Hermione reminded when Bellatrix moved to withdraw it. Seconds later the green teacup reached the other end of the table, and the brunette beamed triumphantly. _

"_Rematch!" Ron and Bellatrix yelled in unison. _

One of the Hufflepuff boys raised his hand shyly, "Were you ever caught?"

"Yes," nodded Harry, "We were, once. It took us two days to escape."

_Bellatrix watched with a twinge of pity as Hermione cast a stinging hex on Harry's face. It worked, his face was swollen to the point that it was barely recognizable, and then the brunette turned frantically to Bellatrix. _

"_Do you trust me?" _

_Bellatrix blinked in surprise, "Of course." _

_A second later there was a flash of pain across her face. It felt as if she were being stung with a hundred bees. She could not see as the snatchers surrounded them- seizing their wands and shackling them together. All she could do was stumble after Hermione, clutching her face. _

"_We're being taken to Malfoy Manor," Hermione's voice whispered in her ear. "I'm sorry, but I couldn't take the chance of someone recognizing you." _

"_It's alright," Bellatrix assured her, doing her best to keep the pain from her voice. "Thank you for thinking of that." _

_Her vision began to clear as they passed through the front door of Malfoy Manor. _

"_What is the meaning of this? Why have you brought them here?" _

_All thoughts vanished from her head as Narcissa stormed into the entrance hall. She did not hear the conversation as Lucius was summoned, and then Draco. She did not hear them decide to keep the four in the dungeons until the hex on Harry's face wore off. Instead, she was too busy studying the fine lines that had formed on her little sister's face. The firm set of Narcissa's mouth was disconcerting- her sister had always been prone to laughter- and her eyes were so… cold. _

_One of the snatchers handed the wands he had seized to Narcissa, and Bellatrix watched carefully as Narcissa took them. To her disappointment, however, her sister did not examine them. _

_They were led unceremoniously to the dungeons. Bellatrix glanced quickly at her nephew as they passed him, and he looked so miserable that she might have felt pity for him if it were not for the fact that he was the spitting image of Lucius. _

_She did not notice that he was staring at her. _

_Several hours later she sat close to Hermione as Luna told them her story. Her face no longer hurt, but it was still swollen. She kept reaching up to prod gently at her puffy features. _

_Suddenly, the Ravenclaw girl fell silent. Her large eyes stared warily at something behind them, and Bellatrix spun to look. _

_It was the boy- Draco. He stood on the other side of the iron door, and motioned for the snatcher that was guarding them to open the door. _

"_Granger!" He commanded, "Come with me, and bring your friend." _

_She could feel Hermione tense beside her, and to her surprise it was Ron who jerked to his feet. He was stopped almost immediately. _

"_Not you, Weasley," sneered Draco. "The last thing my mother wants is to be in the presence of a filthy blood traitor, that one!" he pointed at Bellatrix. _

_The raven-haired witch stood, and unconsciously reached for Hermione's hand. She found it, and twined their fingers together as Hermione led her towards Draco. She could hear Harry and Ron threaten the boy as she and Hermione tripped up the stone steps. _

_Without a word Draco ushered the pair up several more flights of stairs, and then through a labyrinth of corridors. She pressed close to Hermione, flexing her free hand and yearning for her wand. _

"_The door to your left," said Draco from behind Bellatrix. _

_They entered a large sitting room. The wind lashed against the windows, making the velvet drapes shake. The room was done mostly in silver and black, making it appear somewhat sinister at first. Then Bellatrix's eye caught the portrait above the fireplace- the same portrait of her and her sisters that used to hang in her mother's sitting room- and she relaxed. _

_The door snapped shut behind them, and Draco stepped quickly to a shining ebony door across from the one they had just entered. He rapped on it, and then turned to study the two young women. _

_The door opened, and Narcissa strode into the room. Her face was unreadable as she came to a halt in front of the pair, and she stared intently at Bellatrix. _

"_Is this the one?" She asked. _

_Draco nodded, and stepped forward, "Yes. Do you see it?" _

_Nodding, Narcissa reached for a small jar on one of the tables. "Does your father know?" _

_He shook his head, "I did not say anything. He's at the ministry, but he wants us to inform him if the swelling goes down on that boy's face." _

_Narcissa nodded absentmindedly, and unscrewed the jar in her hand as she moved closer to Bellatrix. A lavender scent filled Bellatrix's nostrils, and she frowned as Narcissa moved to rub some on her face. _

"_What is that?" Hermione, who had been silent up until that moment, asked. _

_Narcissa's lip curled, but she answered anyway, "It is a healing salve."_

"_Is there a reason why Madam Malfoy is applying a healing salve to one of her prisoners?" asked Hermione. "I mean, surely there are more important things for you to worry about than the comfort of muggle-borns and blood traitors."_

_Her voice sounded confident, but Bellatrix could detect a faint note of worry. She squeezed the brunette's hand reassuringly. _

_Bellatrix winced as the cold salve was rubbed over her face, her eyes stared into Narcissa's blue ones, as if daring her sister to answer. _

_It was Draco who spoke, "Your friend reminds us of someone, Granger, and if we are correct-"_

"_Then what?" Bellatrix asked, and a faint smile tugged at her lips when both blondes looked surprised. She could feel the salve working, and Hermione's grip had tightened to the point where it was painful. "Something wrong with my face?"_

"_Bellatrix," breathed Narcissa, throwing her arms around the darker witch, "I was told you were dead! The Dark Lord- he said you were killed by the Order." _

_Tears fell onto Bellatrix's neck, and she patted her sister gently on the back. "I'm sorry, Cissy. I hope you realize why I couldn't say anything." She looked to Hermione for help, but the brunette simply shook her head. _

_Narcissa pulled back, and stared into her sister's face. Her thumbs smoothed Bellatrix's cheeks, "How was this accomplished?" _

_Bellatrix shifted uncomfortably beneath the scrutiny of her sister's gaze, "It's a long story."_

"_Well, Lucius won't be back until late," smiled Narcissa, "I'll have the elves bring up something to eat, and then you can tell us." _

"_Are you going to feed the others?" Hermione asked. Now that it was apparent that no one was going to be harmed she looked a lot less nervous. Her eyes blazed challengingly at the blonde witch. _

"_I recognize you," Narcissa turned her penetrating stare onto Hermione. _

_Draco cleared his throat, "This is Hermione Granger, Mother. You saw her at the World Cup-"_

"_I saw her before that," Narcissa's voice became even more hushed, "but I was much younger, and knew her by the name Grier." Her eyes flicked back to her sister, "Did you know about this, Bellatrix? Was this why I was never allowed to mention her at home?"_

_The two girls remained silent. _

"_Fine," Narcissa snapped twice, and an elf appeared at once, bowing low before it's mistress. _

"_I want you to take food to the dungeons," she ordered, "and make sure everyone is fed. Then I want you to bring our lunch."_

_The elf nodded, and disappeared at once. _

_A chilly silence descended over the room. Narcissa insisted that they sit, and her she was slow to mask her horror when, after Hermione sat on one of the black velvet sofas, Bellatrix draped herself across the brunette's lap. _

"_Bella-" Hermione hissed, "your sister-"_

"_Needs to stop looking at you like you have a filthy limerick written across your forehead," Bellatrix purred, then she raised her voice, "Don't flare your nostrils Cissy, it makes you look silly. Mother would be ashamed." _

_Narcissa's jaw tensed as she and Draco sat primly on the sofa across from them. _

"_So, this is Draco," Bellatrix glanced at the boy, "How is your training coming? Is it everything you've ever dreamed of, following in your father's footsteps?" _

"_Bella!" Hermione hissed. _

"_What's wrong, love?" Bellatrix sneered at the uncomfortable-looking boy, "I'm just trying to figure out how much my nephew takes after his father. After all, Lucius has been training the boy-"_

"_No he hasn't," said Draco quietly. _

"_Draco, don't let her rile you up." _

_A feral grin stretched across Bellatrix's face, "No, Cissy, let him speak. We've been chased all over the country while the little lamb sits comfortably in his home- no doubt waiting for the opportune moment to show off how well his Daddy trained him to be a Death Eater." _

"_Father didn't train me," Draco interjected, his expression was a mixture of misery and indignation, "you did." _

_Well, that shut her up. She was dimly aware of the soothing pattern Hermione traced on her back as the room descended into uncomfortable silence once more. _

_The elf returned with a tray piled high with food, and Bellatrix stubbornly refused to move off Hermione as the four were served. _

_After a few minutes Narcissa spoke up, "If you're done insulting my son, I would like to hear that story." _

_So they told her. Or rather, Hermione told her. She explained how she had encountered Bellatrix in the Forbidden Forest, and how she had woken up during Bellatrix's sixth year. She told her about how she had not expected to return to her own time- and how McGonagall and Dumbledore had helped her create a new identity for herself, and had suggested that she try to get close to Bellatrix. Their relationship was glossed over- Narcissa could surely fill in the blanks herself. _

_Hermione's voice wavered a bit as she explained how she had woken up once again in her own time. _

"_And how did this-" Narcissa waved her hand at Bellatrix, "come to be?" _

_The girls exchanged a look. _

"_No offense, Cissy, but we'd rather our secrets not get passed on to the Dark Lord." _

"_I would never!" fumed Narcissa, her cheeks tinged a dark pink, "Really, Bellatrix! As if I would betray your secrets… There's a reason we waited for Lucius to leave!" _

"_Maybe you wouldn't," Bellatrix nodded towards Draco, "but I'm not comfortable telling mini-Lucius either." _

_Draco, to his credit, looked hurt by this remark. _

"_He idolized you, Bellatrix! Don't you remember that?"_

"_Bellatrix can't remember anything past her sixth year," Hermione pointed out, "She is exactly the same as she was then." _

_Narcissa's eyes narrowed, "You can't remember anything?"_

"_There were a few memories that I left for Hermione," Bellatrix shrugged, "But other than those- no. I've been given a second chance." _

"_And you're choosing to spend it on…" _

"_Hermione, yes." Bellatrix lifted her chin challengingly, "So if you had any plans of getting me to fight with you and __**dear**__ Lucius, you might as well throw us back in that dungeon right now."_

"_Oh, I'm not going to do that. You, and all of your friends, are going to be gone by the time Lucius comes home." _

_Bellatrix's eyes widened in shock._

"_If you take Draco with you." _

"_Mother!" Draco shouted at the same time that Bellatrix yelled, "So he can spy on us? Absolutely not!" _

"_He won't be a spy!" growled Narcissa, "Miss Granger," Hermione's eyes widened at being addressed, "my son is in danger if he stays here. The Dark Lord is looking for any excuse to punish Lucius, and Draco has already been targeted more than once. He'll be safer with the Order- even as a hostage- than he will be here. Please," her blue eyes turned pleading. _

"_What's to say that Vol-" Hermione stopped herself just in time, "that you-know-who hasn't ordered him to go with us in order to keep track of us?" _

"_He hasn't," Narcissa swallowed heavily, "And I can help you! I have information!" _

"_We still can't be certain that any information you give us isn't second-hand from your master," spat Bellatrix. She stood, and Hermione followed suit immediately._

"_You had the Sword of Gryffindor!" Narcissa scathed back, jumping to her feet. "I don't know how you've acquired it, but I know that it's supposed to be in the Malfoy vault!" _

"_Well, that was helpful," Bellatrix rolled her eyes. _

_Narcissa turned back to Hermione, "There was something else he gave us to guard, in addition to the sword." _

_Hermione stiffened, "How do we know that this isn't a trap?" _

"_Because I would never allow anyone- not even the Dark Lord- to use my son as bait," vowed Narcissa. "The sooner he has been defeated, the sooner Draco will be safe. Please!" _

_Hermione swallowed, and then nodded, "We'll take him." _

_A real smile crossed the blonde's face, "Draco, fetch the wands." _

"_Mother, I don't think-" _

"_Now!" _

_He did as he was told, and as soon as he was through the door, Narcissa turned back to Hermione, "It's Helga Hufflepuff's cup," she said. _

_Bellatrix, who had been glowering during this exchange, remembered that Harry had mentioned the cup before, and straightened. _

_Hermione shared a look with Bellatrix, as if she were thinking the same thing, "We can't promise that he'll be safe," she started. _

"_But I can guarantee that if he stays here he won't be." _

_Draco returned through the door carrying a sack. "There's been a disturbance in the dungeons," he said as he passed the sack to his mother, "should I go stop it?" _

"_Actually, that makes things much easier," Narcissa leaned forward and kissed Draco on the cheek, "I love you darling." _

_Hermione yelped as Draco fell to the ground. _

"_It's just a mild sleeping curse, Miss Granger," Narcissa shook her wand, "It should wear off by morning." She passed the sack to Hermione. "I disabled the anti-apparating wards, find your friends and go."_

"_Thank you," Hermione found her wand and levitated the sleeping boy. "Bella?"_

_Bellatrix paused in front of her sister. Her voice was suddenly gentle, "Stay safe, Cissy."_

"_You too, Bella," Narcissa smiled tightly. "And- and you as well Miss Granger." _

_Hermione smiled in thanks, and began to guide Draco down the hall. _

_They met Harry and Ron halfway down the stairs. _

"_Dobby got everyone else out-" Harry informed them as they followed him back downstairs, "What's with him?" He asked, nodding at Draco. _

_A grin spread across Bellatrix's face, "He's going to help us win the war." _

And he did. Narcissa had not been trying to trick them. They retrieved the cup with Draco's help and-to their horror- began to like the boy as he worked alongside them during the weeks before the final battle. At least, Bellatrix, Hermione and Harry began to form a friendship with him. At best there was only a grudging respect between him and Ron.

Bellatrix was pulled from her thoughts as Harry called on another student.

"Was it scary to fight the Dark Lord?"

Bellatrix could not repress a shudder.

_Bellatrix's body shook as she stared at Harry's lifeless body. Her arms were wrapped around a sobbing Hermione, and her own cheeks were wet. She was dimly aware that Voldemort was trying to convince Neville to join him, and that the boy was refusing. _

"_I will ask one more time if anyone else would like to join our ranks before it is too late." _

_The high, cold voice made her skin prickle uncomfortably. Her hand tightened around her wand. _

"_No one?" There was a mirthless chuckle, and then, "How about you? How would you like to have power beyond your wildest dreams?" _

_She did not know who he was talking to, but she clutched Hermione tighter. _

"_**Look at me!"**_

_It felt as if an invisible hand pushed against her chin, and her head was jerked up to look at Voldemort. _

"_No!" The gasp rang in her ears, "It can't be!" _

_Her heart pounded as every head turned towards her. A wave of nausea rushed across her, and she forced it down. Her eyes met his with more confidence than she felt. _

"_I'm fine over here, thanks," she called. _

"_How dare you!" His voice, oddly quiet, sent chills down her spine. A searing pain cut across her shoulder, and she fell to her knees with a gasp. _

"_No!" Hermione fell down beside her, and gasped out a shield charm as she tried to staunch the bleeding. _

_Bellatrix looked up at him, and saw the recognition in his eyes as the red orbs flicked from her to Hermione, and back. _

"_Oh, Bellatrix," he practically purred, "you little fool." _

_She swallowed, "H-Hermione," she tried to warn. _

"_Well, isn't it fitting that you will die in the arms of your… __**beloved**__," he mocked. Around him, the Death Eaters sniggered- though most surely had no idea of what was going in. _

_She pushed on Hermione's arm, "N-no," she gasped. Her eyes widened as the Dark Lord raised his wand-_

"_**Expelliarmus**__!" _

_Harry's voice had never sounded so sweet. She collapsed in relief against Hermione, and was dimly aware that Ron had appeared behind her to hoist her to her feet. Then the relief was replaced with worry for Harry. _

_It was as if the duel happened in slow motion. The three of them watched, their eyes wide with anxiety, and the Boy-Who-Lived faced off against Lord Voldemort for the final time. _

_And when it was over… it was finally over. _

A Ravenclaw girl beamed when she was called on, "What happened to the 'Golden Quartet' after the war?"

Bellatrix rolled her eyes, _You're supposed to be in Ravenclaw, _she thought_, haven't you paid any attention to the Daily Prophet_? There was a feature on the so-called 'Golden Quartet' at least once a year.

"Well, Ron and I became Aurors immediately after the war," Harry smiled. "We were joined by Bellatrix after she and Hermione finished their seventh year- and she worked with us until she became the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor."

Bellatrix grinned. She had been mentored by none other than Tonks, and while her niece had been less than friendly at first- the two had become very close. She had helped her reunite with her other sister- and dinners with Andromeda were way more comfortable than the stiff, formal dinners at Malfoy Manor.

Aside from her sisters, Draco, and the Weasley's, no one ever found out that she was the same Bellatrix Black who had once become Bellatrix Lestrange. Although nothing had ever been confirmed, most of the wizarding world (thanks to a speculative article by Rita Skeeter) was convinced that she was the secret daughter of Sirius Black and his Muggle wife.

Sirius had become something of a romantic figure after the war, and so this only improved the public's opinion of the mysterious new heir to the Black fortune.

"Hermione worked for years at the Ministry of Magical Law Enforcement," Harry continued, "And now she writes textbooks, I believe most of you will recognize her name from your own textbooks."

Bellatrix spied the time on the clock that hung at the front of the room. "Alright, the lesson is over, you may go!"

There were a few groans of protest, but most of the students dashed wildly towards the door.

While Harry answered a few more questions, Bellatrix packed up her things. From the corner of her eye she noticed two students enter the room and immediately head towards her desk. They skirted around the cluster of students, and then joined her behind the desk.

"Mother!" the eldest of her two daughters, Druella, greeted Bellatrix with a hug. "You wouldn't believe the lies Filch is spreading about us!"

Bellatrix smirked, "Oh, really?"

Druella nodded, she had attempted to knot her bushy black hair at the base of her head, but most of it had sprung free, and flew wildly around her head.

Bellatrix turned to study her daughter's companion, "James, what happened?"

The boy, who had been her daughter's best friend since their infancy, smiled sheepishly, "We were just having a little fun, Aunt Bella," he said.

She sighed, "Well, your 'little fun' has earned the pair of you detention for a month! I wouldn't be surprised if you both got howlers tomorrow morning!"

"What's this about howlers?" Harry asked. The final first-year had just left.

James sighed, "We might have played a small prank on Filch," he said.

"But it wasn't as big a deal as he made it seem!" Druella protested.

Harry sighed, but his eyes sparkled with mirth as he looked over at Bellatrix. "Well, I won't tell your mother until she gets home," he said slowly, "you know that she's in Bulgaria right now, covering a game for the Prophet?"

The boy nodded eagerly, "Thanks, Dad! You're the best!" He hugged his father tightly. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

Harry nodded, smiling, "Yeah, I'll be here."

"Brilliant!" The boy leapt to his feet, "Dru and I should go then, if we want to eat before our detention."

Druella groaned, and got to her feet. "All he ever cares about is food," she laughed.

"It's the Weasley in him," Bellatrix smirked, "Don't get into any more trouble tonight, alright?"

The girl beamed, "We have detention with Hagrid, Mother, how much trouble could we get into?"

Somehow, that did not ease the nerves of either parent.

"Don't forget that you're only second-years," Bellatrix blurted, "tell him no if he asks you to do anything too advanced!"

"And stick together if he makes you go into the forest. Do not lose sight of Hagrid." Cautioned Harry.

Bellatrix frowned, "And-"

"Mother!" Druella laughed, "We're perfectly capable of surviving detention, it's not our first one!"

"And it's not like it would be our first trip into the forest," James added, "You and Aunt Hermione live in the Forest!"

"Yeah, I did grow up there," Druella pointed out.

Harry sighed, "They have a point."

Her arms crossed over her chest, "Still, our part of the Forest is much safer," but the argument died there. "Alright, I'll see you tomorrow," she sighed. Kissing her daughter's head, she said goodnight.

"Tell Mum I said hi?" Druella asked in a low voice.

"Of course, darling," Bellatrix whispered. "Be safe." Then "Goodnight, James."

He gave her a quick, one-armed hug, and then pulled Druella out the door. They could hear their laughter echoing in the halls as they ran to dinner.

"Well, I think Hermione's planning on having you stay for dinner," she said in the quiet that followed.

"I'd love to," he said, smiling at her.

* * *

Bellatrix grinned as the school gates clanged shut behind her. "I love that school, you know I do, but there's nothing better than going home."

"I know what you mean," Harry laughed.

They walked in companionable silence. The trees lining the road to Hogsmeade rustled their yellow and orange leaves above them.

A single lamp marked the beginning of the hidden road that led to her home. Bellatrix had given up her insistence that they hire an army of trolls to guard the road only after Hermione had placed every security charm she knew around the perimeter of their property.

Placing her hand on the lamppost, Bellatrix uttered the password, "Kettle" and smiled as the road appeared. If anyone without the password tried to walk off the main road they would be struck with an unstoppable sneezing fit until they returned to the road.

"Keep your wand out," she advised, "I saw an acromantula the other day. They never go near the cottage, but sometimes you'll find them around here."

Harry grimaced, "Hermione hasn't found a charm to keep them out yet?"

She grinned as she followed the road into the forest. The trees were thicker here, and if it were not for the lanterns that hung from the trees, the two might not have been able to see where they were going. "Of course she has, but sometimes the baby ones get in. They're easy to fight off, but they still bite."

"I guess that's one of the downsides of living in the Forbidden Forest." He peered suspiciously into the trees.

"There are more upsides," Bellatrix shrugged, "The unicorn foals come around to play with the girls, and the centaurs give great gardening advice."

He laughed, turning to look incredulously at her, "Gardening advice?"

"I was surprised too, but they really know their soils." She had been worried that they would have trouble with the centaurs when they first built their cottage in the forest, but to her surprise they had been mostly welcoming. It did not hurt that Hermione had spent nearly a year working on her first book, "A History of the Hogwarts centaurs," and had spent hours every day talking to the herd. They had become very fond of the brunette witch.

The cottage came into view, and Bellatrix felt a grin stretch across her face.

The stone building stood in a small clearing. A gate surrounded the kitchen garden, and had been enchanted to keep the forest creatures out. A single tower had been attached to the side of the cottage- to house Hermione's study- and it rose above the rest of the structure like a protective giant.

"Lily says it makes your house look like the Burrow," Harry commented, following her gaze.

In Bellatrix's opinion, it did not look nearly as precarious as the Burrow, but she would never say that aloud. "There are worse things, I suppose."

_Nineteen Years Earlier…_

_Hermione grasped Bellatrix's wrist as she pulled the girl up the path towards the Burrow. Bellatrix had remained hidden in McGonagall's chambers throughout the rest of the school year (McGonagall had locked the girl in during the skirmish that led to Dumbledore's death) but everyone agreed that she needed to move somewhere where she was not at a constant risk of exposure. _

_After an emergency meeting of the Order, it was decided that she would stay with the Weasleys. Bellatrix herself was not exactly in favor of this plan. _

"_I don't see why I can't stay with Andromeda," she tried for the hundredth time since she had found out. _

_Hermione let out a frustrated sigh, "It puts her at risk," she tried to soften her words by squeezing Bellatrix's hand. "If anyone suspects-anyone at all- that's the first place they'll look for you." _

_Nodding glumly, Bellatrix gave the Burrow a doubtful once-over. "It's going to crumble to the ground," she deadpanned. _

"_It won't," Hermione rolled her eyes. She led the other witch straight to the door. "Now, be polite," she begged, "The Weasleys are doing us a favor." _

"_I'll be the picture of gratitude," Bellatrix said, smiling unconvincingly. _

_It was the best they were going to get, however, and Hermione quickly rapped on the door. _

_The door sprang open almost at once. "Hermione!" _

_Bellatrix watched with wide eyes as the brunette was engulfed in a bone crushing hug. "Hello, Mrs. Weasley," Hermione squeaked, "It's nice to see you again. You remember Bellatrix?"_

_Bellatrix was relieved when the redheaded witch merely reached to shake her hand. "Of course," Mrs. Weasley said kindly, "How are you dear? Arthur wanted to be here to greet you, but he had to go meet Ginny and Ron at King's Cross." _

_The next thing she knew, Hermione was leaving to go spend some time with her parents. "I'll stop by tonight to see how things are going," the brunette had promised. _

_Then she was gone, and Bellatrix was standing inside of a room filled with boxes as Mrs. Weasley helped her unpack her things into a battered (but clean) wardrobe._

"_Fred and George have just moved to the flat above their shop," Mrs. Weasley explained proudly, "I'm afraid that they haven't finished moving in yet. We can shrink the boxes if they bother you." _

"_They don't," Bellatrix assured her with a smile, "What kind of shop do they have?"_

_Mrs. Weasley began to explain all about the Twins' joke shop as Bellatrix peered with new interest at the contents that were left on the shelves. She picked up a bronze telescope and bent to look through it._

"_Oh, not that, dear!"_

_Her words came too late. _

_There was a loud bang! And then a pounding ache in Bellatrix's eye. She dropped the telescope with a yelp. "I guess that teaches me not to go around touching other people's things," she grumbled. _

_Mr. Weasley and the others returned while Mrs. Weasley was applying a poultice to Bellatrix's eye. The dark witch liked the Weasley patriarch immediately. They had laughed good naturedly together after Mrs. Weasley explained what had happened. _

"_Would you like a photograph to commemorate your first afternoon in our home?" _

_Mrs. Weasley clucked disapprovingly, "Arthur, she doesn't want a _photo_-"_

"_Yes," Bellatrix said, surprising them all. "I, er, I've suddenly found that memories are precious," she explained. To her horror, she could feel a blush creeping into her cheeks. _

_Suddenly, Mrs. Weasley's arms were around her, "I'm sure you have dear. We're so glad that you're here now. Instead of-" _

_Bellatrix smiled, melting into the display of affection. "Me too." _

The Weasley's had been very kind to Bellatrix, taking her in and absorbing her as part of the family without a second thought. To say she had been surprised would be an understatement, but nothing could have compared to the surprise that came on her wedding day.

_Seventeen Years Earlier…_

_Bellatrix scowled at her reflection in the mirror as she tried to force a stray curl into the silver net that contained the rest of her hair. She banged her fist on the vanity table when it sprang free seconds later. _

"_Perhaps you should leave it, dear." Mrs. Weasley suggested as she entered the room, "Is it alright if Arthur comes in?" _

_Bellatrix nodded, and sighed as she sat back in her chair. _

"_Well, for what it's worth, I think you look beautiful!" Mrs. Weasley beamed at her as she came to inspect her hair. _

"_Very beautiful," Arthur added, smiling warmly at her. _

"_Thank you," Bellatrix smiled gratefully at the two. _

_There was a crash as a fourth person entered the room, "Sorry I'm late, Bella," Tonks gasped, struggling to talk as she limped towards the mirror, "Snagged my dress-Mother had to fix it-Never been good at it-"_

_Bellatrix struggled to hide her amusement, "It's fine, Tonks," she soothed, "I'm perfectly capable of dressing on my own. Is Teddy-"_

"_He's waiting with Harry," Tonks said, plopping down in the chair beside Bellatrix. _

_Mrs. Weasley made a small noise that could only be described as a squeal, "He's going to be such an adorable ringbearer!"_

_Tonks gave an exasperated sigh, "Well, he will be if Harry can convince him to make his ears normal- he's been learning about wolves," she explained to Bellatrix. _

"_Let him keep them!" Bellatrix grinned devilishly, "I don't have a problem with it!" _

"_You don't want the Grangers to be looking at him when they should be looking at you and Hermione," Mrs. Weasley pointed out. _

"_They've never seen a magic wedding," Bellatrix replied, "They probably won't be looking at us anyway." _

"_She has a point," Arthur chuckled, and Bellatrix shot him an affectionate look. _

_Mrs. Weasley shook her head, and pulled a handkerchief from the pocket of her robes. "Now, usually it's the mother of the bride that takes care of these things- it is in my family at least- but given the circumstances…" She smiled, and cupped Bellatrix's cheek, "If you'd like you can wear these…" _

_She unfolded the handkerchief, revealing a pair of sapphire earrings. "They were my mother's," Mrs. Weasley explained. _

_A lump formed in Bellatrix's throat as she reached out to touch one of the stones, "They're beautiful," she breathed. She could feel Tonks' arms wrap around her. _

"_They can be your 'something borrowed', as well as your 'something blue'," Mrs. Weasley explained, leaning down to fasten them into Bellatrix's ears. _

"_And your 'something old'," Arthur piped. _

_Tears threatened to spill, and Bellatrix leaned forward to wrap her arms around the Weasley matriarch, "Thank you so much," she whispered. _

"_Of course dear, of course," Mrs. Weasley's eyes were a little misty as well when she finally released the young woman. "Arthur-" she gestured wordlessly to Bellatrix. _

_He stared blankly at her for a moment, and then his eyes widened, "Oh right!" He stepped closer to the vanity, clearing his throat a few times. "Well, I was thinking-" He cleared his throat again, and smiled, "I would be extremely grateful if you would allow me the honor of walking you down the aisle today." _

_Tonks' hand squeezed her shoulder, and the tears that had threatened earlier spilled over. _

"_I'd like that very much."_

The delicious smell of roast chicken hit them as soon as they pushed through the front door. Bellatrix breathed in deeply as they shrugged off their cloaks and hung them on hooks beside the door.

"We're back!" She called as she and Harry headed through the narrow corridor towards the back of the cottage. They were almost to the kitchen when the door was flung open, and two small bodies barreled out.

"Oof!" Bellatrix smiled as her youngest child crashed into her. "Hello, to you too," she smirked.

"Aunt Hermione took us to Hogsmeade today!" the child attached to Harry chirped, "We got to go to Honeyduke's!"

"Mummy says that if you and Uncle Harry agree, Lily can stay here tonight." Brown eyes gazed pleadingly up at her, and Bellatrix stroked her hand down the sleek curls. Cassandra had inherited Hermione's hair color, but not the bushiness.

"Harry?" She looked over to her friend.

"Please, Daddy?" Lily asked sweetly.

Harry nodded, prompting a round of squeals from the girls. "But Ginny's coming home tomorrow," he said to Bellatrix as she headed into the kitchen, "so please don't send her home with green hair again."

A fake pout formed on the witch's face, "I can't help it if the child wants to be a Slytherin," she said.

"If she ends up in Slytherin we both know it's Cassandra's doing." Harry pointed out.

"Well, if that's the way you see it, it's your son's fault that my firstborn is a Gryffindor."

"I like to think I had something to do with that," Hermione protested as she carried a bowl of steaming potatoes to the set table.

Bellatrix grinned, and moved to kiss her wife hello. "I missed you," she purred into the brunette's ear.

"I missed you too," Hermione said, leaning into Bellatrix for a moment. "Hello Harry, how did it go?"

"It always goes better than I think it will," he sighed.

Bellatrix rolled her eyes, "It was fantastic, Harry, it always is. Just wait until tomorrow when you get to lecture the new Gryffindor-Slytherin class. Albus'll be there."

His face brightened a little, "I was sort of hoping to see him today," he confessed. "At least James stopped by."

"Was Dru with him?" Hermione asked, flicking her wand so that a bowl of rolls joined the potatoes on the table.

Bellatrix nodded, "She says hello," she said, eyeing the roast chicken that was on the table. Her stomach grumbled audibly.

A sigh came from the brunette, "I can't believe our baby is already a second-year," she said mournfully.

Bellatrix, who had just filled two of the glasses on the table with pumpkin juice, made a face. "Don't remind me. Soon Cassandra will be going off, and then we'll just be two old ladies in an empty house."

Harry snorted, "You're hardly old," he pointed out.

"For that, you can have the choice between butterbeer or elf wine," Bellatrix beamed.

"Butterbeer, please."

She retrieved four bottles, and placed them on the table. Then she opened one of the cupboards and retrieved the bottle of shimmering potion that occupied the highest shelf.

After she had seen the memories that her "other-self" had left Hermione, she had done some research on the potion that Snape had created for her. With Draco's help (he had followed in his Grandfather's footsteps to become an apothecary and a sort of private healer) she had found a potion that helped her control her emotions, and that made her mood-swings more bearable. She accepted a measuring glass from Hermione, poured out her portion, and downed it with a grimace. Draco still had yet to find something to mask the taste. She swept her wand over the glass to clean it, and stored the potion back on the top shelf.

"DINNER!" she bellowed, grinning as the two other adults winced, "It's the most effective way to get everyone to the table," she shrugged.

They all took their seats, laughing when the girls crashed into the kitchen to join them.

"Not yet," Bellatrix clucked as Cassandra reached for a roll, "We don't eat until everyone is at the table."

As if on cue, there was **clunk! clunk!** Of a wooden cane hitting the floorboards as the last member of their household shuffled into the kitchen.

Thimble grinned happily as Bellatrix leapt to her feet and pulled out the empty chair for the elf. "Thank you, Miss Bellatrix," she said, hopping onto the chair and leaning her cane against the table.

Bellatrix rolled her eyes, "You don't need to call me that, Thimble."

They had tried to free her after the war, but the stubborn elf had refused to accept the clothes, and would not take payment. In the end, they negotiated for the elf to take one night off a week- a night she usually spent at the Potter's house playing card games with Kreacher.

Of course, now that the elf was older she spent less time doing actual housework and more time observing her family from the various elf-sized rocking chairs that had been placed throughout the house. She was often found giving unsolicited advice, but no one could question her unwavering devotion to the members of the Granger-Black household.

Dinner was a jovial affair, as usual. Harry and Bellatrix teased Hermione about her newest book- a reexamination of Goblin-Wizard interactions during the 12th century. The girls were delighted as Thimble told a few embarrassing stories about the three adults. Thimble had baked a cake- which was enjoyed by all.

As Harry made the leftover rolls dance above their heads, Bellatrix leant back and watched her family laugh.

There was nothing more beautiful in the world.

Hours later- when Harry had left for his home, Thimble had gone to meet Kreacher, and the girls had fallen asleep- Bellatrix and Hermione stretched out in front of the hearth in their room.

It was their evening ritual. Hermione made notes about their day in her journal- something she had taken up in the years following the war, while Bellatrix graded papers or planned future lessons.

But tonight she could not focus on the essays. She found herself gazing at Hermione as the brunette chewed on the tip of her quill. Her hair was piled on top of her head, and the firelight made the shadows flicker on her face.

"What?" She asked when she noticed Bellatrix staring.

The ebony-haired with smiled slowly, "I was just thinking," she said.

"About what?"

Bellatrix sighed, "How close we almost came to losing one another- to losing this."

Hermione closed her journal, and set it and the quill aside. "Come here," she opened her arms.

Crawling closer, Bellatrix snuggled into Hermione's embrace, and sighed contentedly as she rested her head so that she could hear the brunette's heartbeat.

"It was Harry's lecture, wasn't it?"

Bellatrix nodded, "It always makes me realize how close I came to fighting with the other side," she shuddered, "I guess I _did_ fight alongside Voldemort during the first war…"

"Bella, _you_ didn't-"

"I know Hermione, it's alright." Sighed Bellatrix, "I only meant- I don't know what I meant." She looked up, and pressed a kiss to Hermione's jaw, "I'm so glad I have you, I don't want to think about what it must have been like without you-"

"Don't dwell on it," Hermione said gently, smoothing back her wife's hair. "I'm here, and so are you. Nothing's ever going to separate us again."

Bellatrix looked up into those warm brown eyes, and felt a rush of safety wash over her. It was as if nothing could harm her- not even herself- as long as she had Hermione.

Her chest swelled with love and affection, and she swallowed past the painful lump in her throat. "I love you."

Hermione's voice was like rain, "I love you too Bella," she said, peppering kisses on her wife's nose and cheeks, "Forever and ever."

Bellatrix's fingers crept up to tangle in Hermione's hair. She straightened so that she could look her wife in the eye, and just before she captured the brunette in a deeply passionate kiss she whispered-"

"Forever and ever."


End file.
